Page 7 of 188

Accelerator pedal ............................ 5-7
Seat belts ........................................ 5-7
Steering ........................................... 5-8
Fittings and fasteners...................... 5-8
Instruments, lights and switches ..... 5-8
Control cables ................................. 5-8
Tires ................................................ 5-9
OPERATION..................................... 6-1 Engine break-in ............................... 6-1
Starting the engine .......................... 6-2
Drive select lever operation and reverse driving............................... 6-4
On-Command four-wheel-drive
switch and differential gear lock
switch ............................................ 6-6
Parking ............................................ 6-8
Loading ........................................... 6-9
BASIC GUIDE FOR SAFE USE....... 7-1 KNOW YOUR VEHICLE................. 7-1
Driver requirements ........................ 7-3
Passenger requirements................. 7-4 Occupant protection system............ 7-4
Protective structure.......................... 7-6
Seat belts ......................................... 7-6
Doors ............................................... 7-9
Passenger handholds.................... 7-10
Seat and hip restraints .................. 7-11
Floorboard ..................................... 7-11
Steering wheel ............................... 7-12
LEARNING TO OPERATE
YOUR VEHICLE.......................... 7-13
Personal protective equipment...... 7-13
Practice for new Rhino users ........ 7-14
Getting ready to ride ...................... 7-15
Turning........................................... 7-15
Accelerating ................................... 7-16
Braking........................................... 7-17
Engine braking............................... 7-17
Leaving the vehicle ........................ 7-18
Parking on a flat area .................... 7-18
Parking on a slope ......................... 7-18
Loading .......................................... 7-19
Operation on different surfaces and terrains.................................. 7-19
67
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2-9
Aftermarket tires and rims
The tires and rims that came with your Rhino were designed to match the performance capabili-
ties and to provide the best combination of handling, braking, and comfort. Other tires, rims, sizes,
and combinations may not be appropriate. Refer to pages 8-44–8-46 for tire specifications and
more information on replacing your tires.1RB7A_EE.book Page 9 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:07 AM
Page 69 of 188
5-2
1
2
3
45
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Final gear oil/
Differential gear oil
Check for leakage. 5-7, 8-15–8-21
Accelerator pedal Check for proper accelerator pedal operation. 5-7
Seat belts Check for proper operation and belt wear. 5-7–5-8
Steering Check for proper operation. 5-8
Fittings and fasteners Check all fittings and fasteners. 5-8
Instruments, lights and
switches Check operation, and correct if necessary. 5-8, 8-55–8-60
Wheels and tires Check tire pressure and for wear and damage. 5-9–5-10, 8-44–8-46
Axle boots Check for damage. 8-23–8-24
ITEM ROUTINE PAGE
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5-9
EVU00500Tires
Check tire pressure regularly to make sure it
is at the recommended specifications. Also
check for wear and damage.EVU00510Tire pressure
Use the tire pressure gauge to check and ad-
just tire pressures when the tires are cold. Tire
pressures must be equal on both sides.
WARNING! Operation of this vehicle with improper tire pressure may cause severe
injury or death from loss of control or roll-
over. Tire pressure below the minimum
specified could also cause the tire to dis-
lodge from the rim under severe riding
conditions. Set tire pressures to the following specifica-
tions:
ACE-02EThe tire pressure gauge is included as stan-
dard equipment. Make two measurements of
the tire pressure and use the second reading.
Dust or dirt in the gauge could cause the first
reading to be incorrect.
Recommended pressure Minimum
Front 70 kPa
(0.70 kgf/cm
2, 10 psi) 63 kPa
(0.63 kgf/cm
2, 9 psi)
Rear 98 kPa
(0.98 kgf/cm
2, 14 psi) 91 kPa
(0.91 kgf/cm
2, 13 psi)
1RB7A_EE.book Page 9 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:07 AM
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7-12
Steering wheel
Keep both hands on the steering wheel. Do
not hold the steering wheel with your thumbs
inside the rim. Keep your palms on the out-
side of the steering wheel. Similar to other off-
road vehicles, if the Rhino hits a deep rut or
large obstacle, the steering wheel could brief-
ly jerk in one direction or back and forth as the
tires and vehicle respond to the obstacle. This
quick motion could injure your thumbs or wrist
if your thumbs or hand(s) are inside the steer-
ing wheel. Grip the steering wheel so that
your thumbs will not be hit by the spokes. As
an example, see the illustration.
CORRECT GRIP EXAMPLE
INCORRECT GRIP EXAMPLE
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7-17
Braking
When slowing down or stopping, take your
foot off the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal smoothly. Improper use of the
brakes can cause the tires to lose traction, re-
ducing control of the vehicle and increasing
the possibility of an accident.
Braking ability is affected by type of terrain. In
most cases, gradual application of the brakes
is more effective than abrupt braking, particu-
larly on loose surfaces, such as gravel. Al-
ways allow for greater braking distance on
rough, loose, or slippery surfaces.Engine braking
Engine compression braking is designed to
assist you when operating your Rhino off-
road. With this feature, the engine helps slow
the vehicle down after you take your foot off
the accelerator. Engine braking is more no-
ticeable in four-wheel drive. Application of ve-
hicle brakes provides additional stopping
power.1RB7A_EE.book Page 17 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:07 AM
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8-44
EVU00930Wheel removal1. Loosen the wheel nuts.
2. Elevate the vehicle and place a suitable stand under the frame.
3. Remove the nuts from the wheel.
4. Remove the wheel.1. Wheel nut ( × 4)
Tire replacement
Always use the same size and type of tires
recommended in this owner’s manual. The
tires that came with your Rhino were de-
signed to match the performance capabilities
and to provide the best combination of han-
dling, braking, and comfort. It is best to re-
place all four tires at the same time. If that is
not possible, you must replace the tires in
pairs (front or rear) with tires of the same size
and type as the originals. Never replace just
one tire.
WARNING
Installing improper tires on your Rhino
can affect handling and stability. This can
cause a loss of control.
1RB7A_EE.book Page 44 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:07 AM
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8-45
The tires listed below have been approved by
Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America for this model.
EVU00940Wheel installation
1. Install the wheel and the nuts.
●
The arrow mark on the tire must
point toward the rotating direction of
the wheel.
●
Tapered nuts are used for both the
front and rear wheels. Install the nuts
with their tapered side towards the
wheel.
2. Lower the vehicle so that the wheel is on the ground.
3. Tighten the wheel nuts in crisscross pat-
tern to the specified torque.
WARNING
Do not reverse the rims on the Rhino to
widen the track width. Installing wheels
improperly increases the risk of wheel fail-
ure and accidents.
Manufacturer SizeType
Front MAXXIS 25 × 8-12NHS M951Y
Rear MAXXIS 25 × 10-12NHS M952Y
1RB7A_EE.book Page 45 Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:07 AM